Dreams & Nightmares
by Tarma Hartley
Summary: Fic extension request for Kuugatsu on Tumblr. Dreams and a nightmare become reality for Emperor Miles who struggles to find the meaning of them.
_**KICKIN AWESOME** **thumbnail artwork is by thisedgeysfangirl and she did them from my fic, Caged Heart! THANKS! ^)^ Used with permission!**_

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 _A/N: I do not own Phoenix Wright or Miles Edgeworth; they belong to CAPCOM. The plot, however, is mine. ^_^_  
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 _Dreams, and a nightmare, become reality for Emperor Miles who struggles to find the meaning of them...  
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This is a fic extension, requested by kuugatsu on Tumblr, of the dreams and nightmare sequences in my fic, _Caged Heart: A NaruMitsu Fairy Tale._ Hope you enjoy! ^)^

(If you want to understand fully what's going on, read _Caged Heart_ first. ^)^ )

Not beta read.

Thanks to all my readers! **MUCH APPRECIATED**!

Thank you also to Pearls1990 and Nim for all of their help on _Caged Heart_! And to Nim for the line "Free me. I will not be freed until your heart is warm and beating again." **MUCH APPRECIATED**!

 **SPECIAL THANKS** to my beloved husband, DezoPenguin, for his love, encouragement and helping to keep me grounded during the writing process so that I don't tear my hair out! Love you, babe! 3 3 I'll probably change some stuff at some point; always room for improvement! ^_^

Rated T, Angst, Phoenix x Edgeworth, male/male relationships

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The Emperor shuffled wearily toward his rooms, exhaustion written clearly on his face. It had been a tough day where it seemed that, anything and everything that could have gone wrong did and he was very glad to see the end of the day arrive at last.

The sun was sinking low in the West when he at last reached his room and, upon opening the door, he was startled for a moment when he heard the bright, melodic trilling of the little blue bird that he had saved six months ago.

He smiled sightly as he made his way over to the velvet lined box where the little bird rested when he wasn't sleeping curled up under his left ear, burrowing close to him. He hadn't remembered a time when he was as happy as he was now and he thought it quite curious that this should have occurred once the little bird had arrived, quite literally, on his windowsill.

He didn't give it another thought as he slowly undressed, putting his robes on the chair nearest the bed and reaching for his nightclothes that had been left out the night before by his loyal valet.

 _It was interesting,_ he mused as he slowly dressed, looking at the little bird that was singing so happily over on top of the dresser, _just how much my life has changed, for the better, since then._

He had just turned and begun to make way to his bed when the little blue bird stopped singing and immediately flew over to him, lighting on his shoulder, nuzzling his neck with its beak before its joyful song resumed.

The Emperor smiled as he reached up and softly caressed the little creature's crest feathers, marveling anew at just how beautiful its coloring was and how vibrant it seemed, as well.

He pulled back the silk covers, topped with a woolen comforter to keep out the bitter cold and climbed into bed, the little bird alighting briefly from his shoulder until he was settled and then flying back to cuddle with him, trilling soft, sweet notes.

The Emperor couldn't help but smile as he blew out the night lamp beside his bed and snuggled down, closing his eyes. It didn't take long for the exhaustion of the day to take over and he soon fell asleep, the little bird's song following him into the dark…

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 _The Emperor walked slowly up and down the rows of beautiful plants in his garden, pausing briefly to lean over and breathe in the scent of one flower or another, a half smile on his face. He had to give his gardeners credit: they certainly knew how to create a magical, peaceful and serene place where he could escape to when the pressures of daily living grew too much for him to bear._

It was a place where he felt the most at ease and he often came here as of late. He straightened up and continued his slow excursion, turning left at the hedgerows as he made his way down the next row.

 _The hedge maze garden was the perfect place where he could be alone. With some twists and turns, only he knew the way in and around and could find his way out easily. He liked coming here because it afforded him privacy where he could be alone with his thoughts. Admittedly, it helped stave off some of his more lonely moments and it gave him some mediocrum of peace but there were days when he wondered how he was able to do anything at all._

 _He had leaned over and was about to smell a rose that he was particularly proud of when he suddenly stiffened, becoming aware of another presence in the garden with him._

 _He whirled around, angry words rising when the stopped cold, the words dying on his lips. There, in front of him, stood a young man, dressed in a blue suit, with velvety black hair and piercing cerulean blue eyes, a sweet, seraphic smile on his face._

 _"Hello, Emperor," he said with a cheerful air, walking over to him, bowing low from the waist while the Emperor stood stock still in shock at this intruder in his private space. "It's good to see you. How are you today?"_

 _For many moments, the Emperor couldn't say a word; his tongue seemed to be frozen in the presence of this lovely young man and he couldn't do anything except stare at his unexpected visitor. When he at last was able to make his mouth work, the question he asked came out in garbled nonsense so he took a deep breath and tried again._

 _"Who..who …are…you?" He waited a few moments until his foolish mouth could work properly, his eyes never leaving the smiling young man who stood there so calmly and he felt his temper rising. "And what are you doing in my private garden?! How did you get in here?!"_

 _The young man merely smiled at him, brushing off his irritation as if it were of no consequence and began to walk slowly toward him, his eyes never once leaving his face._

 _The Emperor shook with a mixture of rage and fear: rage because he had invaded his private domain and fear because he seemed to not be perturbed in the least with his display of temper and kept slowly advancing toward him._

 _He whirled and stalked down the path, leading away from the young man, walking some distance when he finally turned to see if he had followed him. He hadn't and, for some reason that he couldn't explain, he felt…disappointed but shrugged it off as no consequence and continued his excursion._

 _He didn't see the young man nor did he see the smile that the young man had on his face as he melted into the shadows of the hedgerows. He would bide his time and return as often as necessary. He looked after the emperor's retreating form, a soft smile on his face._

 _Beloved…_

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The Emperor awoke with a start, his eyes flying open, his heart pounding as he lay there in the pitch black darkness, gasping for breath. Once he realized that he was in his own bedchamber, he willed his racing heart to calm and gradually calmed himself down. The little bird slept peacefully on, cuddled up in the crook of his neck, sweet notes trilling from its beak, one beautifully colored wing stretched out over the soft skin of his throat.

The Emperor smiled as he looked down at the little bird from the corner of his eye, smiling gently. He was surprised at how easy it seemed that smiles came to his face in the past six months than they had in the previous twenty odd years; he marveled at his transformation.

 _And I owe it all to you, little friend_ he thought, a soft smile on his face as he settled back down, closed his eyes and he soon fell fast asleep…

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 _The Emperor walked in his garden, taking the same, slow route that he always did but this time it was with a difference: he had a companion walking with him. Whether he liked it or not-and he really didn't at this juncture-he had the young man in the blue suit with the black spiky hair and cerulean blue eyes for company._

 _It didn't seem to matter if he treated him curtly or ignored him; the young man was always there by his side, talking and walking with him. No matter what he did to dissuade him, he refused to leave his side and, gradually, he had come to grudgingly accept his presence._

 _"What a beautiful day it is today," the young man said, looking up at the brilliant blue sky, sighing appreciatively, crossing his arms loosely over his chest while the Emperor looked down at an azalea, ignoring his chatty companion._

 _He grunted something noncommittal but the young man in blue didn't seem to take offense for he merely chuckled and continued walking beside him, chattering blithely. The Emperor gave a long suffering sigh but continued on his way without a word, an action that was fully ignored by his companion._

 _"The blue sky, the fresh air-" He stopped for a moment, breathing in deeply and closing his eyes "-the feeling of the earth underneath my feet. Yes, it's a beautiful day." He turned his head to look at the Emperor and smiled, tilting his head slightly to the right. "Wouldn't you agree?"_

 _"I… suppose so," the Emperor replied, a slight edge to his voice, stopping to pluck a dead leaf from a lemon tree sapling before he straightened up and started walking again, the young man keeping pace perfectly with him. "I… never stopped to think about it before."_

 _The young man smile winningly. "You should." He looked up at the sky for a moment before he spoke again. "There's much beauty to see in this world and it's definitely something you shouldn't miss."_

 _The emperor stopped walking and turned to face his companion, a surprised look on his face._

 _"You speak as if you're not part of it," he said boldly, watching to see what his reaction would be. There was something decided…odd… about this young man but he couldn't quite put his finger on exactly what that was._

 _The young man threw back his head and laughed and the Emperor had the startling thought that his laugh was as melodious as his voice._

 _"Perhaps," he replied with a twinkle of mischief in his eye and then nothing more, the Emperor looking at him curiously but he made no comment as they continued on their way._

 _He'd been thinking a lot about this young man as of late and he also began to realize just how much he was becoming accustomed to his chatty partner. He was amazed at how much he started looking forward to these encounters in the garden where before he had wandered alone and content to be so._

 _It was surprising to him, who had for so long shunned human company due to the ice wall around his heart, to feel the stirrings within him as if the wall were beginning to have a few cracks in them that were slowly working themselves to the surface._

 _It was surprising but also, at the same time, frightening, as the feelings he hadn't allowed himself to feel for decades slowly came flooding back._

 _As if he had heard the Emperor's thoughts, the young man in blue turned to him, a sweet, seraphic smile on his face that the Emperor couldn't help but be dazzled by._

 _He could feel his cheeks redden as he swiftly turned away, the young man's soft chuckle of amusement following after him._

 _"There's no shame in feeling, Emperor," he whispered softly as he leaned over, a soft look on his face, reaching out and stroking the back of his hand tenderly with his fingertips. The Emperor was lost in those deep pools of cerulean blue and he came to himself with a startled oath, stumbling backward a few steps._

 _What… what.. am…I… feeling? What…are these…feelings…?!_

 _He wasn't sure what all these confusing feelings coming to the fore were but they frightened him and he turned and ran. The young man watched him go, a troubled look clouding his features, his hand lifting to cover his heart._

 _Why do you run from me…Beloved?_

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The Emperor woke with a start, a soft cry emerging from tightly pressed lips, trembling hands grasping the corners of his nightdress' collar tightly in his fist, his knuckles turning white with the exertion.

He took in gulping deep breaths, his heart racing. The little bird slept on though its sleep was not so peaceful, either, for it twitched and writhed as if in the throes of a bad dream.

 _What…what is this.. dream?!_

Once the Emperor had calmed himself, he noticed his little companion's distress. He stroked the little bird's feathers tenderly and was pleased to see it slowly settle itself, melodic trills once more coming from its beak as it settled back into peaceful slumber, cuddling close to his neck, it's wing covering the soft part of his throat protectively.  
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**This was the third day that the dream had subtly changed; now, instead of merely tolerating the young man in blue's presence, he'd actively looked forward to it and he was enjoying the young man's company immensely. Now, the dream had changed again and now he felt everything within him clamoring for escape, to run away from the young man in his dreams.

 _Why… why am I so… afraid? And..what did he mean by "Beloved"?_

The Emperor groaned as he lay his arm across his eyes. His head was spinning with questions and precious few answers; the dream changing was starting to bother him and he didn't understand what its deeper meaning could be.

His heart, for some reason he couldn't explain, also hurt and this bothered him even more than the dream's consistent changes.

 _I don't understand what's happening…and the little bird also seems unhappier now, too, the poor little thing._

His little companion's song had changed over the last few weeks, as well; where it had once a joyful, melodic trill, now it was somber and sad. He didn't know what the cause of it was nor did he understand what he could do to make his companion feel better.

 _I feel so helpless…_

With this troubling thought, his eyelids fluttered shut and was soon fast asleep.

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 _The Emperor felt sick at heart as he looked at the young man on his knees, begging him to free him._

 _"Please, Emperor," he begged, his voice cracking with unhappiness, his trembling fingers clutching the sleeve of his robe, "free me, I beg of you! I will not be free until your heart is warm and beating again!"_

 _He'd been saying this for awhile now, ending each of their visits with "Free me. I won't be free until your heart is warm and beating again." This was the first time that he'd thrown himself on his knees and begged him to free him but the Emperor didn't understand his meaning and could only watch as the young man became more and more upset._

 _The Emperor wanted to say something comforting but he couldn't think of a single thing to say, staring mutely at him. He could see a solitary tear begin to creep down the young man's face, his eyes wide open with pain and sorrow and his heart bled._

 _"I…I…" the Emperor began to say but the young man interrupted, again pleading for him to free him, his cerulean blue eyes filled with tears that now coursed freely down his face._

 _He couldn't bear it any longer and he pulled away from him, his heart crying out in agony as he did so. He turned and fled down the garden path, putting as much distance between himself and the young man as he could._  
 _What..am I feeling…?_  
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 _The Emperor was once again with the young man in blue but this time he seemed sad and he couldn't help but wonder why. His once light step had been replaced by a somber shuffle, as if life had been drained from him and his joyful air had also been replaced by one of shadow and sorrow._

 _He wished he knew the reason why the change had happened and also what the meaning of the strange thing he kept saying: "Free me. I will not be free until your heart is warm and beating again."_

 _The Emperor also wondered at the changes he could see in himself, too and the renewed, and very confusing, feelings and emotions that ran through him like a raging river. He also had begun to feel something much deeper for the young man in blue over the past while as well and this also disturbed him as much as the confusing, and contradictory, feelings and emotions he was feeling. He couldn't help but wonder where they were coming from._

 _He looks so sad, the Emperor thought as he looked back at his plodding companion and waited for him to catch up, his heart hurting as he watched him slowly come into view, his face pinched and unhappy. I wish I knew what the matter was…_

 _When he came closer, the Emperor noticed that his face was shining with tears and, with a loud cry, he'd raced toward him, his heart hammering loudly in his chest. He couldn't bear to see his beloved companion's unhappy face and he longed to comfort him. He was surprised at how deep this feeling went._

 _Once he'd reached his side, he was horrified to see that the young man had been crying and his face shone with tears and glittered like diamonds in the corners of his eyes. He'd reached out a hand to him and his fingertips had barely brushed his companion's shoulder when the young man surprised him by grabbing his hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing it._

 _The Emperor froze, unable to believe that the young man had been so bold. His heart was pounding hard in his chest; he'd only meant to offer some comfort to his beloved companion…but this… what was this?_

 _Beloved? Where did that come from?!_

 _But it was true and the Emperor couldn't deny the feelings that raged through him and he groaned aloud. He'd come to feel something deeper for this beautiful young man in blue and his heart hurt whenever he pulled away from him._

 _The Emperor was still in a state of shock when the young man released his hand, darting toward him; before he could say a word or even react, the young man cupped his face tenderly in his hands, pressing his mouth hard against his in a passionate kiss._

 _The Emperor cried out in shock against his mouth, his trembling fingers scrabbling weakly at the young man's blue suit. He couldn't believe what had just happened and his fuddled mind was still trying to make sense of what had just happened._

 _Unwillingly, the Emperor was being dragged down into a dark, maddening whirlpool, his eyelids fluttering shut as the young man's kiss continued and he fought against the encroaching darkness with every ounce of strength he had._

 _Once again, that strange, unsettled longing filled him and his heart was pounding so loudly in his chest that he was certain it would burst as his shaking fingers grabbed the inside of the young man's arm, pushing him away with all his might._

 _The young man had been thrust backward away from the Emperor with the violence of the push and his cerulean blue eyes once again filled with tears. The Emperor stepped back, his body trembling violently, a shaking hand pressed against his mouth as he held out his other hand to prevent the young man from coming any closer to him._

 _"Please…" the young man pleaded, his voice hoarse with unhappiness as he took one slow step at a time toward the Emperor who kept backing away the closer he came. "Don't turn me away… Please…I… I love you…"_

 _The Emperor stared at him, his lips burning with the young man's kiss._

 _"Please… free me." He reached out to him entreatingly, his lower lip trembling, his eyes wide. "I will not be free until your heart is warm and beating again…" The young man's voice was no higher than a pained whisper, his eyes with all of hell in them._

 _The Emperor could feel his limbs trembling; he didn't want to stay here any longer than he possibly could but he found that his feet were rooted to the spot as the young man approached. His heart thudded in his chest, his breath coming in ragged, panicked pants that worsened when the young man got closer to him._

 _He couldn't understand where this was coming from and the pain, and fear, he felt steadily increased. His heart ached as he watched the young man approach and it bled when he saw the deep unhappiness on his beloved companion's face._

 _The young man reached out to him one last time, pleading softly again for the Emperor to free him; his fingertips brushed the front of the emperor's robes and that was enough to give him the strength to move._

 _With a loud cry, he tore himself away, turning and ran as fast as he could out of the garden, tears coursing down his cheeks as he did so, ignoring the rumbling of thunder in the distance. He didn't want to leave and his heart cried out in pain as he did so but he kept running and didn't look back.._

 _The young man didn't follow but stayed where he was, watching the Emperor run away from him. Tears coursed down his face in a steady stream, mixing in with the rain that had begun to fall._

 _Beloved… why?_

 _The young man buried his face in his hands and wept, loud racking sobs torn from deep within his aching heart as the storm broke out around him…_  
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" **NO**!" The Emperor sat bolt upright in bed, soaked in sweat, his face wet with tears, a loud cry ripped from deep within him.

The remnants of the nightmare still clung to him and he buried his face in his shaking hands. What had transpired remained so clear in his mind and he couldn't help the moans that emerged from tightly compressed lips. He didn't know what it meant but his heart broke within him as he remembered the deep unhappiness on his beloved young man's face.

He didn't try to deny it to himself anymore; he was in love with the young man from his dreams and this was confirmed with every painful heartbeat. He didn't know exactly _when_ this had happened but there was no denying it, either; he'd lost his heart to the beautiful young man in blue, with spiky black hair and those cerulean blue eyes.

 _What does this mean?_ he thought in despair, running shaky fingers though his sweat-soaked locks, interlocking behind his head. _I… don't know_ what _to think! I_ can't _be in love with this young man! He_ doesn't _even exist, except in my dreams! It's like being in love with a wisp of smoke…_

There was no denying it no matter how many times he tried to convince himself that it wasn't true and every denial just rang more and more hollow. Whatever the cause, whatever the reason, he _was_ in love with the young man in his dreams.

 _What am I going to do?!_

He was lost in his own misery that he didn't notice the deathly silence that hung over the room for a few long moments and, when he was at last aware of the eerie stillness that prevailed, his head jerked up, his dark grey eyes wide.

 _My little bird!_ His head turned swiftly to the left where the little bird was accustomed to sleeping cuddled up under his neck and a loud moan was torn from him when he saw that the little bird wasn't there and the space that it usually occupied was empty. Just like his heart. Just like his bed. Just like his life.

 _No… No…It…CAN'T… BE! NO!_

He looked frantically around the room, his eyes searching every possible nook and cranny as to where the little bird might be but his tiny companion was nowhere to be found.

 _Alone…I'm..all… alone…_ He swallowed a sob. _I'm…so…._ alone _…_

The Emperor lowered his head and wept in the dark, cold silence.

 **.:FIN:.**


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